108-year-old family butcher's shop expands into Wigan

Standish thought it had lost its only butcher’s when Chadwick’s closed last year.

But just weeks after Chorley-based J McRobb announced it was moving into the former Autosave premises on Market Street, a venerable rival has revealed designs of its own.

David Green, 39, is the fourth generation of his family to run a shop in the Chorley village of Heskin, its having been founded in 1912 by his great grandfather Sydney.

These days the Withington Lane business is called K and J Green (after David’s parents Ken and Jean) and he says it has been “ticking along nicely” for decades.

But the news of Chadwick’s shutting prompted the latest custodian of the business to seize an opportunity and so he bought a one-time hot food and sandwich shop on Preston Road which is now about to undergo a transformation.

Mr Green said: “I have been looking around for another place for a while and, with Chadwick’s closing, there seemed no better time to move into Standish.

“We have been getting quite a few ex-Chadwick customers from the town coming to us in recent months and some have in fact asked why we don’t fill the gap left in Standish. It is a town that is used to having a butcher so here we are.

“I found a nice little corner shop in a good position. It’s not too big but it has a fine back lay-out for a prep area. Most of the work will be done at the original premises then the locally sourced meat will then be taken up to Standish for final preparation and sale.

“I bought the place rather than rent it. I’ve got some costly equipment to get in and a lot of refurbishing to do.”

That said, Mr Green said he hoped to have the shop open in a month to six weeks’ time.

There are currently four people working at Greens’, the latest recruit being Jeanette Chadwick, daughter of John who decided to close his own family business and allow the High Street site to be turned into a retirement village.

Mr Green said that for the time being the new shop would be run with existing staff but, after seeing how things go, he might recruit more in the future.